Fastening means for metal roof decking



Aug. 21, 1928. 1,681,830

H. E. WHITE FASTENING MEANS FOR METAL ROOF DECKING Filed May 25, 1927 VHiozvuaq Patented Aug. 21, 19 28..

UNITED STATES 1 1,681,830 PATENT. OFFICE.

nnnnnnr E. wnrrn, or rounes'rown, 01:10, assreuon 'ro 'rnn 'rnuscouSTEEL comrm, or YOUNGSTOWN, OHIO, A conrona'rrou or MICHIGAN.

FASTENING MEANS FOR METAL DECKING.

' Application filed Kay 25, 1927. Serial No. 194,175.

Thisinvention relates to metal roof decking, and more particularly to anovel and practical form of fastening device that may function as acoupling for the roof-sections,

- ing device or clip having features of construction which facilitatesits application to theroof forming sheets, and which .will be held infirm engagement with the reinforcingelements at the meeting edgesthereof thereby l5 avoiding slipping or shifting of the clip when actingas a coupling between the roof supports, and also possessing structuralfeatures which enable the clip to be interlocked with a purlin or otherroof support where the deck crossesover the purlins. In that connectionanother feature of the clip is to provide the same with structuralcharacteristics which provide the additional strength necessary formaking a rigidsplice between supports.

'25 With the above and other objects in view which will more readilyappear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the sameconsists in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of partshereinafter more fully described, illustrated and claimed.

A preferred and practical embodiment of the invention is shown in theaccompanying drawings, in which 2- w '35 Figure 1 is a cross-sectionalview illustrating the application of the invention to adjoining deckplates or units. I

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 22 .of Fig. 1.Figure 3 is a detail perspective view of the improved clip.

Figure 4 is a vertical cross-sectional view taken on the line 4-4 ofFig. 2.

Figure 5 is a detail-sectional view illustrating the application of theclip to the roof forming plates 'where they cross a purlin or roofsupport.

Figure'6 is a detail bottom plan view of the I clip with the holdingtongues struck out therefrom.

Figure 7 is a side elevation of the clip shown in Fig. 6. Similarreference characters designate corresponding parts throughout theseveral figures of the drawings.

In the construction of metal roof decking which consists of sheets orsections of metal provided with flanged edge portions, or ribs at theundersides thereof, it is especially desirable that means be providedfor readily and quickly connecting the edges of the sections thereby notonly to facilitate application and installation, but'to provide meansfor adequately supporting the sections at the joints. Accordingly, thepresent invention contemplates a novel clip or fastening device in thenature of a sleeve for telescopically fittingover the depending flangesor ribs of ad o1ning sections for holding them together -to resistlateral separation and at the same time providing connecting means andanchoring means where the necessity for such function-occurs.

Referring to Fig. 1 the metal plates or sheets constituting the deck aredesignated generally as A and are preferably formed at their undersideswith the longitudinal reinforcing ribs' B extending throughout theirlength. These ribs may be formed in any suitable manner, and quiteobviously may assume different cross-sectional shapes, but a pract calrib construction is shown in the drawings as an example. Thesereinforcing r bs not only stiffen the sheet A but also provide aconvenient means for receiving the clip elements designated generally asC.

In the form of clip or fastening device G shownzin the drawings, thesame primarily consists of a metallic body formed from a single piece ofmetal to conform generally to the shape of the ribs B. Although the ribsin the drawing are shown as of a substantially T-shaped formation,nevertheless, it will be understood that it is within the scope of theinvention to make the body of the clip of any cross-sectional shape ordesign to telescopically fit over the ribs, but in all cases certaindistinctive features and characteristics are preserved to attain thevarious ob- 1 jects heretofore set forth. These features include asleeve-like body comprisingthe wall or web members 1 formed at theirupper edges with the offset deck engaging head flanges 2 and having attheir lower ends the tubular base or equivalent portion 3 whichmanifests itself in the present embodiment in the form of what may betermed a tolerance loop including the offset cufi portions 4 which areconnected by a bottom wall 5. This bottom wall is provided with anintermediate raised of the ribs B and insuring atight non-slipping fitbetween the clip and the deck plates.

This feature is one of much practical importance since it will beobserved that the loop 3 ispreferably made larger than the part of therib intended to be embraced thereby so that when the clip is applied tothe ribs there will be suflicient tolerance and yieldor spring in theraised portion 6 to permit of the flanges 2-2 being forced upwardly intofirm and positive engagement with the undersides of the deck plateswhile at the same time the loop itself has a positive frictionalengagement with'the bottoms of the ribs.- Thus, this arrangementprovides for an extended frictional engagement between the clip and thedeck plates, assuring a tight and practical fit between the clipand thedeck plates which will prevent accidental movement or gripping of theclips where the joints occur between urlins or roof supports. formationof the clip provides sufficient tolerance to readily adapt the clip toslight inequalities in the sections of the deck or ribs and insures asnug fit under all conditions of use.

In connection with the raised abutment 6 itwill be observed from Figs. 6and 7 that the inclined ends 7 thereof may be cut to provide bendablekeeper tongues 8 and 9 so that when the clip is arranged at a roofsupport or purlin these tongues may be bent downward as shown in Figs 6and 7 and applied to a purlin as shown in Fig. 5. That s to say, thetongues 8 and 9 are spaced so u that when they are deflected or bentdownward they will straddle the purlin or roof support S, and the tongue8 may be'clenched or bent around one edge of the purlin thereby toprevent lifting of the roof sheets as well as cooperating with thetongue 9 to revent longitudinal shifting. When the clips are usedbetween joints the tongues 8 and 9 need not be bent down out of theplane of the inclines 7, but their provision as an integral art of theclip renders the same useful for ocation between supports as well as atthe supports.

As will also be seen from Fig. 3 of the drawings the bottom wall 5 ofthe clip is provided with an extension 5 and one end of the walls 11 areprovided with the outturned wings 10. The extension 5'- and the wings 10cooperate to facilitate the placing of the sheets, because, ininstalling the clips the end of the clip opposite the wings 10 may befitted over the deck sheets which have already been joined and then leftto project slightly beyond the edge of such joined sheets so that thenext adjacent sheets to be laid may be fitted together and guided intothe space be-" tweenthe walls, through the aid of the base extension 5and the, wings 10. 7

Also this- From the foregoing it will be apparent that the presentconstruction provides a. clip or coupling for connecting adjacent decksheets or plates in such a way that the clip is fric tionally held tothe sections thereby preventing slipping or sliding of the clips. As amatter of fact, the clips must be driven to their final position afterthey have been located and the sections have been preliminarily coupledtogether in the manner above described in connection with the baseextension 5 and thewvings 10. Furthermore, the

structural features and characteristics demay be used either betweenroof supports or at the supports.

Without further description it is thought that the features andadvantages of the in vention will be readily apparent to those skilledin the art, and it will of'course be understood that changes in thefornijproportion and minor details of construction may be resorted to,without departing from the spirit of the invetnion and scope of theappended claims.

I claim 1. A fastening device for metal roof deck plates havingdepending abutting flanged rib elements atthelr undersides, comprising abody conforming to the shape of and telescoping over the rib elements ofadjacent plates, said body having the intermediate portion thereofpressed inwardly to provide an abutment for engaging the undersides ofthe ribs.

2.- A fastening device for metal roof deck plates havingrib elements attheir undersides, comprismg a body conforming to the shape of andtelescoping over the rib elements of adjacent plates, said bodycomprising web portions, flanges oflset from the web portions and a loopportion at the bottom of the webs of greater depth than the bottom ofthe ribs, and means at the bottom of the loop for frictionally enga nthe undersides of the ribs to we ge their? on the ribs.

3. A fastening device fbr metal roof deck plates having rib elements attheir undersides, comprising a body conforming to the shape of andtelescoping over the rib elements of adjacent plates, said bodyincluding spaced web portions, flanges ofl'set outwardly 4. A fasteningdevice for metal roof deck plates having rib elements at theirundersides, comprising a body conforming to the shape of and telescopingover the rib elements of adjacent plates, said body including spaced webportions, flanges offset outwardly from the upper edges of the webportions, and a base of loop formation formed at the bottom of the webportions, means at the bottom of the base portion for frictionallyengaging with the ribs, and means at one end of the body for assistingin guiding adjoining sections into the same, said means comprisingflared guiding wings carried by the ends of the web portions and anextension formed from one end of the base.

5. A clip for connecting metal roof deck sections having rib elements attheir undersides, either at or between the location of the roofsupports, comprising an elongated body conforming to the shape of andtelescoping over the rib elements and having a relatively loose fit withsaid rib elements at the ends thereof thereby to facilitate initialapplication of the clip to the deck sections, and means at the medialport-ion of said clip for frictionally engaging said sections at thejoint thereby to provide a positive frictional interlock between thesections and the clip.

6. A clip forconnecting metal roof deck sections having rib elements attheir undersides, comprising a body conformingin shape to and adapted totelescope over the rib elements and including web portions and headflanges offset therefrom, said Web portions being united by a toleranceloop having means for receiving the rib elements of adjoining sectionsloosely to facilitate initial assembly and provided at the intermediatepart of its bottom portion with a rib engaging abutment for frictionallyengaging the ribs and providing a positive frictional interlock betweenthe same and the clip.

7. A sleeve clip for connecting adjoining sections of metal roof deckplates having rib elements at their undersides, comprising an elongatedbody formed from a single plate of metal and having a frictional rib enaging abutment pressed inwardly from the ottom at one face thereof andalso having tongues cut from the body and adapted to be deflected in adirection opposite the abutment to provide a holding engagement with aroof support.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aifix my signature.

HERBERT E. WHITE.

